PC Starting Droids

[Zarm R'keeg]

Yep, that's the one. HA-47-RD (Hazard) in my case.
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[Whill]

I don't allow outright droid PCs, not only for the first reason garhkal mentioned (too easy to get skills and memories erased), but also because I don't feel that any droid (even R2-D2) should have Force Points due to the Force's organically biological nature. (R2-D2 and other important droid NPCs can have CPs, but not FPs). I do however feel that all PCs should have Force Points. So I have allowed a modified version of the Shard species as a way of sort of allowing players to play droids. Of course it is still a stretch for a non-organic species to have any kind of access to the Force (maybe midi-chlorians can somehow live in/on them). But Sha'ard are alive so I hand-wave them to be able to have FPs but strictly forbid them from being Force-sensitive (so Iron Knights are not canon in my campaign).

I thought I would share my incomplete Sha'ard templates just in case you might find them helpful. The pictured droid model is intended to be the default/suggested model for that droid type, but if a player wants to play a different model in of a template type, we can probably alter things and work that out. I haven't gotten to the point of determining starting equipment/attachments or completing the capsule write-ups.


(degree) Template Name [pictured model]

(1) Sha'ard Medical Droid [GH-7 Medical Droid]
Dex 3D
Kno 4D
Mec 3D
Per 3D
Str 2D
Tec 3D
Notes: I included the GH-7 because I wanted to include one droid originating in the prequels. And this one is also different in that he can hover with repulsorlift tech.

(2) Sha'ard Astromech Droid [R2 Astromech Droid]
Dex 2D
Kno 2D
Mec 4D
Per 2D
Str 3D
Tec 5D
Notes: These could really be almost any R-series astromech droids, but I actually have had one player that told me she wanted to play a character just like R2-D2, so here is my Sha'ard version. Of course a player could choose this template and easily create a character with a similar appearance and abilities as Artoo with a very different personality.

(2) Sha'ard Repair Droid [LE Repair Droid]
Dex 3D
Kno 3D
Mec 3D
Per 3D
Str 2D
Tec 4D
Note: This is the more humanlike repair droid type of Leebo from Shadows of the Empire. Every single attribute has a different value than the astromech droid above.

(2) Scout Droid [Mark V Explorer Droid]
Dex 2D
Kno 3D
Mec 3D
Per 3D
Str 4D
Tec 3D
Notes: This is based on the Scout Droid template from Galaxy Guide 8 p.96. The added twist here is that the PC doesn't know that he is a Sha'ard and just thinks he is a droid. He had been damaged at some point resulting in the Sha'ard inside being in a coma-like state and the Sha'ard-Droid interface being damaged, so the PC still has access to all his skills but can't remember any events from before the "accident" aside from some vague fleeting images.

(3) Sha'ard Protocol Droid [B-3PO Protocol Droid]
Dex 2D
Kno 5D
Mec 3D
Per 3D
Str 2D
Tec 3D
Notes: This template is based on the Protocol Droid template from the game, which seems to have been created for the theoretical player that has their heart set on playing a character like Threepio. The original image for the template from 2E is similar to yet clearly not the same model of droid as C-3PO, so I made-up "B-3PO" as a predecessor model. Its appearance does somewhat differentiate the character from Threepio. (To make that make more sense, "C-3PO" is a droid model in my SWU so Threepio's unspecified full individual designation is really longer. I imagine R2-D2 to also be a specific model of R2-units in the R-series, so Artoo also has a longer unspecified individual designation.)

(5) Sha'ard Labor Droid [BLX Labor Droid]
Dex 3D
Kno 3D
Mec 3D
Per 2D
Str 4D
Tec 3D
Notes: The same model as Bollux from Brian Daley's Han Solo Adventures. My concept for this template type is a very depressed and negative droid inspired by Marvin from The Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy series. He resents his species giving him the body of a menial 5th degree droid, as his intelligence and PC-caliber capabilities are far above and beyond his droid designation. He is extremely oppressed (both by actual and perceived oppressions).


I agree with RAW that PCs should not be allowed to play 4th degree droids so I don't have any Sha'ard templates for them. I wanted to include all the other degrees, and as you can see I have three 2nd degree droids (but I feel they are all different enough to warrant them all).
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[Bulldogzeta]

In the games and campaigns I've run, the players recognize the attitude that sentients in the Star Wars universe have; droids are tools to be used. I got this straight from my wife who has been one of 3 principal players in a very long running campaign. She definitely recognizes that attitude of sentients and the risk of getting a memory wipe. Looks like I did a good job of describing that aspect of galactic attitudes.

Scary!!!

Droids in my campaigns are NPCs only, not by design - it simply evolved that way. Not once has any player even considered a droid in all the games I've run; both the stand alone and the campaigns. I don't know if that will ever change unless someone is looking for a distinct challenge because of the droid rights issues.
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[DougRed4]

One interesting thing about the new Rebels series: they Rebel group (which have been pointed out as being very much like a PC party) really show a lot of respect to their droid. When they have a party vote, the droid had an equal vote with everyone else.
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Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green

[garhkal]

Some of our sparks modules have dwelt on the subject of droids, sentience and free-will. We even have a module that for a good chunk of it, your consciousness is downloaded INTO a droid opposite what you are, that you have to use to help fix the ship you are on, and eventually you. It was a great eye opening experience.
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[DougRed4]

That's pretty cool, garhkal. I imagine seeing things "through the eyes of a droid" could be a powerful statement/lesson on civil rights, minorities, and prejudice.
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Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green

[Darth Torquemadus]